Trump floats taking over D.C. and NYC

President Donald Trump has publicly raised the possibility of the federal government assuming control over Washington, D.C., suggesting his administration is evaluating whether to override the city’s local governance in response to persistent crime and management issues. Knewz.com has learned that the move would represent a major shift to D.C.’s 50-year-old system of home rule.

Trump considers a shift away from home rule in Washington

Washington, D.C., has operated with limited autonomy since Congress passed the Home Rule Act in 1973, granting residents the ability to elect a mayor and city council. However, because D.C. is not a state, Congress retains oversight of its budget and laws. The possibility of the White House intervening directly in D.C. governance would mark an unprecedented move since the Home Rule era began. Trump said during a recent cabinet meeting, “We could run D.C. I mean, we’re looking at D.C. … We’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that’s run flawlessly.” However, he did not provide specifics about what the White House “running D.C.” would entail. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is reportedly in communication with Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, to discuss possible avenues of cooperation.

Washington mayor has cultivated a closer relationship with Trump

According to reports, Bowser, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., has cultivated a closer relationship with Trump during his second term, including visits to the White House to support plans for a new NFL stadium on the site of the team’s former home near the Anacostia River, as well as overseeing the removal of the Black Lives Matter plaza adjacent to the executive residence. “We’ve had a good relationship with the mayor, and we’re testing it to see if it works,” Trump said in a statement. However, the president has occasionally criticized the city over its crime rate and homeless encampments.

Trump warns New York against Mamdani win

Trump’s comments about Washington came after he cautioned voters about Zohran Mamdani’s potential victory in the upcoming New York mayoral race. The president urged New Yorkers not to support him in November, labeling Mamdani a “communist.” Trump also hinted, without offering specifics, at the possibility of the federal government playing a role in the city’s affairs. “If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same, but we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to,” Trump said, before focusing on D.C. again. “New York City will run properly. We’re going to bring New York back,” he later added. Mamdani, who’s a self-described democratic socialist, denied President Trump’s allegations that he’s a communist, saying in a statement to NBC’s Meet the Press, “No, I am not. … I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I’m from, who I am, ultimately because he wants to distract from what I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower, that he has since then betrayed.”

Mamdani hits back

Mamdani has responded to the president’s suggestion of exerting federal influence in New York. A spokesperson from his campaign released a statement, saying, “Donald Trump has once again chosen to treat democracy like a suggestion and insult the more than half a million New Yorkers who voted for Zohran Mamdani’s leadership and a city they can afford. … Zohran Mamdani won with a mandate, receiving the most primary votes in New York City history and as mayor, he will not allow Donald Trump to tear this city apart.”

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